Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1887-04-29
STORIES OF THE JUNGLE,


of people who come to their deaths each
year in India from serpents and wild
animals and crocodiles, the figures can
hardly be credited by one who has not
visited that country. India is the para
disc of all that is savage, reyengeful,
venemous and sly, beginning with the
thug and ending with the flea. The c'i-
mate and topography of the country IA
vor the wild beasts more than man. Ii
is the natural home of every species of
reptile-of many species of carnivora-
of almost every poisonous insect which
can be named. The offer Of large re-
wards for the killing Of poisonous SER
pents has taken tens of thousands of dol
lars from the Golfers of the Government
without decreasing the number Of snake
bites by one. The tiger, leopard, jua-
gar, panther and other fierce creatures
have been thinned off by the natural set
tling of the various provinces, but one
has only to go few miles from the rail-
road lines 20 find them to-day as they
were found twenty years ago. 1t will
forever be combat betweeI man and
beasts in that country, with the odds in
favor of the beast.
In making my way from Penjah to
Lahore, in the days before the railroad,
having the company Of two American
sportsmen and British officer, was
bitten on the cheek by some poisonous
insect which dashed at me as we were
riding in the shade. 1t struck me like a
flash, and was Off before | could raise
my hand. Being new to the country |
supposed it to be some insect common to
the weeds, but it was scarcely three
minutes before / began to suffer great
pain, and in five had TO dismount. The
natives were agreed that the bite came
from jungle hornet, and that would
be a sufferer for some days. Fortunate
ly for me, we were close to the outskirts
of village called Hallarad. and when
could no longer stand on my feet, which
was about seven minutes after being Bit
ten, | was carried into the village and a
native doctor sci to work on ME. l was
then raving with pain, and my face was
swelled until could not see. 1t was
four days before the pain left me, and
ten before | had recovered sufficient
strength to ride. In this interval occur
red the adventure set out to relate.
On the fifth or sixth day after my mis-
fortune, hammock was slung for me
out doors under a tree, and a native sat
at its roots to administer to my wants.
He held the end of my hammock cord in
his hands, and once in while gave it a
pull and kept me slowly swinging. The
village was a scattered one, containing
about 200 natives, and from my elevated
position I had a pretty good view around
me. There was jungle about forty
rods away, while the ground between
was covered with rank grass and weeds
at least knee high. In front OF the hut
to the left Of my tree sat young wo-
man who was making some repairs on
garment belonging TO her father. On
this morning most of the men in the viii
lage had gone of on hunt, and every
thing was as quiet as Sunday morning
in New England hamlet.
The balmy air and the motion Of the
hammock would have induced sleep had
l not slept thirteen hours out Of the pre-
ceding twenty-four. l was quiet, but
wakeful. In the course of half an hour
the hammock ceased 70 move, and saw
that the servant below was fast asleep.
Almost ut the same moment | caught a
flash of something at the edge of the
Jungle, and then | noticed movement
of the grass. l was sportsman enough
to comprehend that some animal or rep
tile was moving toward me, but | had
no enthusiasm-not even curiosity.
traced the progress of the unknown
creature by the motion of the grass,
but did not speculate ms TO what il was.
The country is over-run with hares,
field rats aud other small and harmless
animals, and the fact that something
was moving in the grass would not have
been considered BY the natives as worth
investigating. 1 was looking at the
ground, but thinking Of matters in
America, when suddenly caught sight
of the mead of monstrous serpent raised
above the grass. The head was steady
for few minutes, and then moved slow
ly from right to left and back like the
pendulum of clock. At this time the
reptile was about hundred feet away,
and right at the edge Of the tall grass.
Between me and him the ground WAS
bare, the grass having been killed out
by the feet of the villagers.
suppose that there was still sufficient
poison in my system to deaden my sensi-
bilities TO a certain extent. felt no
fear OF the serpent, nor did wish for
my gun to give him shot. l had no
fears OF the woman seated with her back
to the grass, nor for the native fast
asleep below me. This complacency on
my part is to be accounted for, as said
on the ground that my nervous system
had been deadened and had not get re-
covered its activity. The serpent pres
emily crawled into view, and saw that
it was cobra of enormous size. As soon
as the snake was clear of the grass he
raised his head for a closer survey. The